Father's and Mother's Day is a big deal to my parents. Me and my sister created the habit of offering something to our parents on their special day. Of course everyday should be used to express our love to our beloved ones, but in some cases it feels good to follow social convention, mainly when it is about expressing our fillings and celebrating love and family.

Unfortunately, social convention about this day dictates that you have to buy something to offer to your father or mother. The system has modulate our minds in a way that our priority in life is to work very hard to pay the house, to pay the bills, to pay the loans, to pay the kid's school...And when it comes to the time to show how much we care about our beloved ones, we pay a babysitter, we pay kindergartens and schools and we buy expensive gifts. Our minds became very well trained to do this day after day without questioning and to feel guilty if we don't work one hundred hours per week. We are so embedded in this cycle that is very difficult to accept that sometimes we have to slow down, stop doing the one thousand things we're doing and take the time to do things that make us feel young (to play!) and express love.

Fortunately, in our family we have created the habit to, instead of buying gifts, take the time to create something to offer on Father's or Mother's Day, I think this habit started in primary school, when we would do something at school to offer to our parents on these special days, and fortunately the habit was maintained throughout the years. Today, with almost 30 years old, I still enjoy taking the time to do some handcraft gift and see my mom's and dad's shinning yeas when they receive it. It think it makes me and my parents feel young and loved.

So this Father's Day I decided to make him a hand painted bookmark with all their little girls: my sister, me, my two nieces and my cat (she's like his granddaughter too!). Then I wrote the word 'Pai', which is 'Father' in Portuguese. Nothing too complicated, just a little something for him to remember that we're still his little girls and that we love him.

Since I love cooking, I decided to prepare also a treat. My father loves pretzels, so I decided to try making some for the first time (check the recipe here). They ended up a little too cooked but that was ok. I'm sure dad loves me no mater how burnt his pretzels are...

I'm not a super kin drawer or painter, as you can see by the simplicity of the draw on the bookmark. I think this bookmark could have been done by one of my nieces or by any primary school kid. But that's not important! This is not about of super fancy artwork or super expensive gifts. This is about taking the time to reflect on how grateful we are for having each other and show it with a simple gesture.

So here's Father's Day gift of this year: homemade pretzels and a hand painted bookmark. Dad loved it! I really enjoyed to see that twinkle in his eyes once again.

Hand painted bookmark - Do it yourself

What you'll need:2 in x 6 in piece of bristol or watercolor paper (110 lbs)x-acto knifeScissorsRulerPencilHole puncherPiece of thin rope (10 in)Piece of covering book covers paper (5 in x 13 in)Coloring material (I used acrylic inks, but watercolor or coloring pencils work as well)Small brushes

How to do it:1. Make small marks with ruler and pencil of the right length and wide of the bookmark. Cut it using ruler and x-acto knife on a hard surface (use old newspapers or magazines to protect the surface).2. Use your favorite coloring material to make a nice draw on the bookmark. I recommend practicing it on a piece of paper before drawing it on the bookmark to better adapt the drawing to the available space. If you're using ink, let it dry completely (it might take a couple of hours). If you have kids, why not draw something together with them?3. Once completely dry, cover the bookmark with covering book covers paper. Cut out the excess with scissors, leaving 2 mm of covering paper all around the bookmark, so the paper stays adhered to itself.4. Punch a hole on one of the Sides of the bookmark with a hole puncher. Pass both ends of the rope through the hole and through the rope loop itself and tie both ends of the rope together in a knot. Your hand painted bookmark is ready!

I hope this post is useful and that it inspires you to do your own bookmarks and your own Father's Day gift! Please let me know if you find it inspiring and helpful in the comments below. I would love to hear from you!

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Hi! I’m Joana! Welcome to Just Natural Please.

In this little piece of me you can find healthy vegan recipes that are made with wholeplants. Most of my recipes are free of gluten, dairy, refined oils and other processed ingredients. I also write about health, nutrition, DIY and exercise, mainly running, which is another passion of mine. Read more about me here.

I hope you like it and that you feel inspired to be healthier and happier!